The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry variety. The varietal denomination of the new variety is ‘Sahara’. The new variety was designated by the breeder as ‘Sahara 06.43H.79’. The new variety of strawberry was created in a breeding program by crossing two parents in 2006 in Cartaya (Huelva), Spain; in particular, by crossing as seed parent an undistributed strawberry parent designated ‘02-125’ (unpatented) and as pollen parent an strawberry parent designated ‘03.98’ (unpatented). Each parent is a selection from breeder's program and has not been commercialized.
The resulting seedling of the new variety was grown and asexually propagated by runners in Cartaya (Huelva), Spain, 7° W., 37° N., 45 feet elevation. Propagation by runners included propagation runners, separately for each varieties, first into a Screen-House, and after in the fields. Clones of the new variety were further asexually propagated and extensively tested. Each variety was reproduced by stolons in the nurseries. In order to establish and bring to health the initial head clones, mother plants that had developed several several stolons were subjected to a heat treatment, or Thermoterapy, at 36° C.-37° C. for 3 to 4 weeks. After that treatment, apical meristems were cut and developed (1 apical meristem corresponding to 1 rooting plant) in an in vitro culture for 5 to 6 weeks. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Among the characteristics which appear to distinguish the new variety from its closest variety of which I am aware, ‘Sabrosa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,558) is a combination of traits which include: a terminal leaflet length to width ratio that is longer than broad for the new variety, as compared to a ratio that is as long as broad for ‘Sabrosa,’ a terminal leaflet base shape that is acute as compared to obtuse for ‘Sabrosa,’ a fruit flesh color that is (RHS red group near 41 C to 43 C) as compared to RHS red group near 43 B for ‘Sabrosa,’ a fruit hollow center that is weakly expressed as compared to absent or very weakly expressed for ‘Sabrosa,’ and an early time of flowering (50% of plants at first flower) and early time of ripening (50% of plants with ripe fruit) as compared to medium times of flowering and ripening for ‘Sabrosa.’ The new variety is distinguished from its parents by the following characteristics possessed by ‘Sahara’ which are different than, or not possessed, by the seed parent designated ‘02-125’ (unpatented) and the pollen parent designated ‘03-98’ (unpatented). (1) Seed parent ‘02-125’ (unpatented) is less vigorous than the plant of the new variety ‘Sahara’. (2) Habit plant of seed parent ‘02-125’ (unpatented) flat, whereas in the new variety ‘Sahara’ is globose. (3) In seed parent ‘02-125’ (unpatented) the position of the inflorescence relative to the foliage is above, whereas in the new variety ‘Sahara’ is level with. (4) In seed parent ‘02-125’ (unpatented) the fruit size is smaller than in the new variety ‘Sahara’. (5) In pollen parent ‘03-98’ (unpatented) the plant is more dense and more vigorous that the new variety ‘Sahara’. (6) In pollen parent ‘03-98’ (unpatented) the fruit size is bigger than one of the new variety ‘Sahara’. Moreover, the new variety ‘Sahara’ presents an early time of flowering and ripening, whereas in the pollen parent ‘03-98’ (unpatented) time of flowering and ripening are medium.
The average fruit mass (g/fruit) observed for the new variety ‘Sahara’ on March 18 was 37.9 g, as compared to 39.3 g for ‘Sabrosa’ and 24.7 g for ‘Camarosa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,708). The luminosity for the fruit of the new variety at 460 nm was 18.6, as compared to 27.3 for ‘Sabrosa’ and 31.5 for ‘Camarosa.’
The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new variety, designated ‘Sahara’ or ‘06.43H.79’ in the photographs.